Lightest, brightest dive lights

[japandiver]

After 4 years working my socks off in Tokyo, I`m on my way back to the UK. However, the route back is going to be via the South Pacific and Oz and NZ.

Now I know that this means that I deserve to be flamed by a bunch of mud-slid, gale-blown, flooded-out Brits - but I need some advice.....

Obviously I`m taking my dive gear and have some plans for some wreck diving (Santo / Collidge, Yongala, Tonga etc) however I`m trying to travel with as little as possible. Unfortunately it looks as if my trusty and weighty 18W HID canister lamp is not coming - so I`m looking for a light weight lamp.

I could just take my back-up light - but having got used to lots of lumens while diving I`m not entirely happy about that. Rechargable is good, only need 1 hour burn time but must be as light as possible. Any ideas?

Hugh

[KISSer]

Any of the NiMh battery canisters on your existing head should do the job - a 4.5Ah canister is about the same size as 2 cans of a beveridge of your choice, weighs diddly squat and will give about 90 mins burn time on an 18W Hid. You can probably just get a new canister & lid and stick the cord into it, though with all the recent legal bolox in the US your choice might be limited.

[Tim Ingmire]

How about a Light cannon 100 HID. When you're done at one site and need to fly on just ditch the batteries and buy a new set at your destination. With a new set of batteries this torch gives a fantastic beam - probably not at bright as your 18w but as bright as anything else your likely to buy.

But the very first thing that you must do if you aren't taking your 18W jobbie is to send it to me for safe keeping.

[Dr Stevil]

There's an extensive dive torch review by Charles Hood in this months Dive mag, covers hand-helds and umbilical types

[japandiver]

Kisser - thanks for the idea. And while I'm writing about it - does anybody have a better charging solution for Halcyon's - an AC/DC converter and a separate reulated power supply plus 3 cords is a real pain.